Miss Rei Ayanami
by UnderAGlassMoon
Summary: 8 years after Third Impact, everyone has gone their sperate ways. Having just graduated from university, Rei begins her wish to live a normal life. However, after her first day of job-searching, her life would become far from normal...
1. Lattes and Job Searching

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or any of its characters. All the fictional characters and brands used in the story are purely fictional and any resemblance to real people or brands is coincidental (well, apart from one!).

* * *

It has been only a week since I had graduated from University and already I was discovering the trials and tribulations of the unemployed. Here I was, sat inside an internet café, uploading my CV up onto a job search website. I sat and sipped a latte, a caffeine beverage I had grown fond of over many mornings in cafés during my time in university, whilst the computer monitor congratulated me for performing the simple task of uploading a text document. I found it most patronising. However, I was not one to become annoyed with a machine, so I took another drink of my latte and logged in to check my e-mails. It was hard not to remember all those mornings where Shinji, Toji, Kensuke and I would congregate inside the local café for coffees of all descriptions and muffins. I had also grown fond of muffins. The correct phrase for this is 'those were the days', as far as I am aware.

Things had changed a lot ever since the years following Third Impact. Tokyo-3 was never rebuilt. I was surprised myself to find that I was back, given a second chance to lead what many call a normal life. I was aware that my life up to that point had been far from normal, so I was curious to see what a normal life presented. I did well during high school, passing all my exams with distinctions or merit grades, giving me the opportunity to go to the university of my choice, given that I pass their entrance exams. I chose Tokyo-2 University, just because that was where I lived and that was where everybody I knew was going as well. It was a good university as well, so that was agreeable.

I had lived with Misato Katsuragi, Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Sorhyu for the remainder of my high school years and I had been a witness to the strengthening of the relationship between those three. I had grown closer to these people as well and from what I could deduce, we were a happy surrogate family. There were many rough times, especially during the immediate aftermath of Third Impact but the fact that we are all still here and happy is testament to the strength of the invisible bonds that formed between us. Initially, I had tried to understand those bonds but as I came more aware of my own emotions, I learned very quickly that these were bonds that could not be described in words.

When the time had come for us to go to university, Asuka had chosen to return to Germany for several years, much to Shinji's and Misato's dismay. It was her decision and even though those two didn't like it, they supported her all the way. That had been one of the first times I had to come to terms with my emotions, these abstract, indescribable yet unmistakable sensations that I was only just discovering I had and experienced many times before. When I heard the news for myself, I didn't know how to react. My mind had beaten me to it.

"Don't cry Wondergirl," Asuka had said at the airport. "I'll be back soon, don't worry."

"I'm…crying?" I asked. Looking back at it now, I find it of slight embarrassment to myself that I didn't even know that I had been crying yet on the other hand, it was just the validation of my emotions. Maybe my mind was trying to tell me that I indeed had emotions and that I was just like anybody else in that respect. The thing was, I wasn't just like anybody else. I had no parents. The closest thing I had to a parent was _that_ man, whose name I can barely write, never mind utter aloud; Gendo Ikari. He was the only person who seemed to have a connection to me. Now, eight years after Third Impact, I haven't seen any sign of him. My memories of Third Impact are faint to say the least.

It's hard to answer questions about my background, my parents, my family and my days of growing up. There are no memories of that. I still don't know how to explain it to people. The easiest way is to usually say that I was orphaned at a very young age and that a man adopted me and raised me. However, it still leaves the parts about my background and childhood unanswered. And to be honest, I can't answer to questions, not to myself, not to anybody. "It's just something that will just have to be," Misato had said about it when I asked her about the issue during my last year of high school. Her reply was so simple, yet I found it so incredibly poignant. She also said to me, "Listen Rei, the past is an important thing, we can never forget it. But sometimes, we just have to put it to one side and move on into the future." And she immediately followed that with, "Wow, how philosophical am I sounding? I think I need a drink!" Misato's drinking habits were an eccentricity that I happily allowed for.

As I scrolled through my e-mails, I found one from Shinji, who was legally my brother (that was even harder to explain, especially since we have different family names). He and Asuka had decided to tour the world using the pay that had received from the UN. They had asked if I wanted to go but I politely declined, favouring instead to find out what real life was. The e-mail just said that he and Asuka were in Cambodia, among the remains of the Angkor Wat temple. They sent photographs as well, which were nice to see. When Misato had heard of their plans, she had said, "If those two wanted some time alone together, they could have just asked!" I assume that she was implying that they were involved with each other but I'm not quite sure. I hadn't asked to clarify that with Misato.

I logged off the computed and stood up, gathering the paper copy of my CV and the empty cardboard cup that once housed my latte. I threw the latter in the bin before opting to buy a triple chocolate muffin before I left. I couldn't resist the temptation they presented, really. I left the internet café with my handbag around my left shoulder and my muffin in my right hand and headed up towards the subway station so that I could return to my flat. It was a pleasant day. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was fairly hot. I smiled a bit, the facial expression evoked by the muffin in my hand and the clear blue sky.

Speaking of things blue, I held my left hand up to my hair and considered going into my hairdressers at some point for a trim. It had grown to below the base of my neck and even though I quite liked my hair like that, I felt some compulsion to have it shorter. As I walked down the stairs into the subway station with my muffin tragically finished, I decided against having it cut and leaving it to grow some more. I bought my ticket for my subway ride and joined the hundreds of people using Tokyo-2's most efficient public transport system. Shinji had suggested that I learn to drive a while back, like he had been doing at the time but I decided against it. Once I got onto the train and couldn't find a seat as well as barely finding a safe place to stand without the risk of falling over, I began to regret not learning to drive. I would have been stuck in traffic all day but I least I would have room to breathe.

The journey was short and uneventful and I got off at my usual stop. I emerged from the underground network of subway train lines and went to my local corner store to buy milk, bread and some rice. The shopkeeper was a man in his mid fifties who had served in the army as a logistics officer. He had many stories of his time in Iraq as well as other countries he had been to on his travels. It had made me want to have gone with Shinji and Asuka on their travels but I had made a decision and I will stick by it. It was part of my learning how life is influenced by the decisions we make and how there is no point thinking about the 'what if?'. Well, that's how I have learned to see things in this existence of mine. One thing that I learned in university was that people's opinions were so varied and contrasting. I also learned that some people were bigots. I disliked bigots.

"Just these today, Miss Ayanami?" the man asked with a pleasant smile.

"Yes," I replied. "Having a good day so far?"

"It's been quiet," he replied with a sigh. "But I've already broke even for this month so it's not so bad."

"That's good to hear," I said as I handed over the money for my purchases.

"What have you been up to?" the shopkeeper inquired.

"Job searching," I replied.

"Ah, I see," the shopkeeper chuckled. "The post university blues. Well, best of luck with that, Miss Ayanami."

"Thanks," I said before taking my leave.

I headed to the block of flats opposite the corner store and made my way inside. These flats were new when I had began renting one of them and I found it most pleasant. I had my money from my UN salary for services to humanity so I wasn't struggling financially but I still desired to get a job and still desired to live a normal life as many put it. I went up the stairs to the seventh floor and headed to flat 78 where I placed my card key in the door and let myself in. I sighed as I looked at the state of the place. It still looked like a student flat and was in dire need of cleaning. Despite trying my best to motivate myself to clean the place, it was an uphill struggle and I always found myself falling back down again. Today seemed a better day than ever however and I had plenty of time. So, as well as searching for a job, I would clean my flat for the first time in years. I would turn over a new leaf, as they would say colloquially. And then, having spent the last three hours turning what was a student flat into a place suitable for normal habitation I went into my bedroom and collapsed onto my bed, knowing I had a long day ahead of me tomorrow.

* * *

Breakfast was cereal this morning. I didn't risk making anything and to say that my cooking skills were basic was a major euphemism. I had several job interviews that day, starting with the job I wanted most, finishing with the job I wanted least. I hoped that I didn't have to go past the first one but one must have contingency plans and I had three, just to be sure. And to be frank, if I had gotten an offer of the last job in my list, I probably wouldn't take it. It didn't bear thinking about. I grabbed my flat keys and headed out the front door, breathing in the fresh, autumn air, preparing myself mentally for the task ahead.

I rode the usual subway line at the usual time into town to the usual café where I usually bought a latte in the mornings if I was going into town. This regimented routine was just how I operated. I couldn't do all these things spontaneously. The routine had to be planned ahead and followed strictly or else I would be unhappy with how my days in town began. This was my usual routine whilst in University as well and despite having a bit more flexibility with my time these days; I still stuck to what I knew. Maybe it wasn't adapting to the situation, which was something that was paramount as an Evangelion pilot but I wasn't an Evangelion pilot anymore. I wanted to have the norm, not the downright crazy. Also, not being an Eva pilot meant I had no orders to follow and nobody telling me what I had to do. It had taken a while and many lessons at the hands of Asuka to break me from having to be ordered around. However, despite all that, if I wanted to do something, I would have to literally order myself to do it and unfortunately, that's just how I worked.

"Morning Rei," said the young lady in the café. She was a pleasant and attractive looking woman with a well rounded figure, long brown hair and dark brown eyes. Her name was Haruka Yamagisawa and she had long been a friend of mine from the days of university. I think she was around 25 years old and had worked in that café for at least as long as I had been going to university. She always had a smile on her face, a cheery tone and a bounce to her step which was the polar opposite to me.

I hardly ever smiled, spoke in that same old monotone and walked conservatively. Maybe that's why we got on so well. "Morning Haruka," I greeted, managing to raise the edges of my mouth ever so slightly, just to show Haruka that I was happy to see her.

"The usual?" Haruka inquired.

"Yes please," I replied. Haruka got straight to work making me a latte as I took a seat, which thankfully was my usual one. I always sat here if it was unoccupied. There was nothing special about the chair or the table, I just liked sitting there.

Haruka placed the latte out in front of me and sat down across from me. She always did this when I came along and her boss either didn't care or didn't notice because Haruka always got away with skipping out on work for several minutes in the morning, which ironically was when the café was generally most busy. "What's it today, Rei?" Haruka asked. She had her elbows on the table with her hands clasped together and placed her chin upon them. I found it disconcerting because she looked like she was listening so intently. It may seem strange that I found it hard to speak because she was listening so hard but that was just the way I was. "Job interviews," I replied before taking a sip of the glorious latte. The coffee beans must have been ground by the hands of an angel. And no, not the evil angels that tried to cause Third Impact.

"Job interviews, eh?" Haruka said, letting out a laugh. "I wish I could help you there, honey, but I have never had a job interview in my life. Been working here since I was a teen so this has been the only job I've known. You nervous?" There was no hiding it. "Very," I replied before taking a deep gulp of the marvellous, wonderful, awe-inspiring drink that was my latte.

"You couldn't tell," Haruka chuckled. "You look so calm now, it's incredible!"

"Isn't this how I always look?" I asked.

"Well…yeah, but it works!" Haruka said. "Those interviewers will think you're one tough cookie, Rei!" I was caught off guard by her comment. "Do you have any cookies, Haruka?" I asked in a voice that seemed too much like a child's for my liking.

She laughed before saying, "Sure, I'll get you some. And you sure are cute when you ask for cookies!"

I felt myself blush ever so slightly because of Haruka's comment. I never thought about my appearance unless someone mentioned it to me. Haruka had said many things about how I looked over time. One was, "Rei, you're always dressed so well! How can you stay so up on fashion?" Another was, "Rei, you're looking gorgeous today! All the guys at the university will be chasing mad after you!" I always blushed when she said them, and she was always right. Other people had commented on how I always seemed to be in with fashion and I had many guys chase me at university. For the former, I have no idea how I achieved this. I just bought clothes I liked and wore them. For the latter, Asuka had explained it this way, "It's because you're a babe, Rei! Join the club!" It was flattering, coming from Asuka. I think Asuka is also considered a 'babe' as well. I also think she's 'taken' by Shinji, although I'm never too sure what it all means.

Haruka came back with a plate of cookies and began to munch them immediately. Haruka indulged in a few herself and said, "Do you want a muffin as well?" I didn't have to reply. Haruka just saw my eyes brighten up at the mention of muffins and smiled before getting up to obtain me a muffin. She returned with a triple chocolate muffin that was gloriously warm; so warm that the chocolate bits in the muffin had just begun to melt, making this seem like the food of the Gods. I liked muffins and I liked chocolate and chocolate muffins were ultimately man's crowning achievement in the entirety of its existence. Forget about Evangelion; if we had fired these muffins into the angels' mouths, they would have just stopped attacking us and ate themselves into destruction because these muffins are so luscious and delectable.

After gorging on the muffin and finishing my latte, I said goodbye and thanks to Haruka before setting off to my first interview. It was a junior management post for a big Tokyo-2 clothing firm and training was included. The pay was good, the hours were reasonable and a management job appealed to me so I applied for the job and here I was, heading for the interview. The building wasn't far from the café and my first impression of the place was its size. It was big. And tall. Well, I guess I never took the part about being a 'big clothing firm' too literally. I entered through the large revolving doors and headed to the reception desk that was, well, big. "Hello ma'am, may I help you?" asked one of the many receptionists.

"I am here for the job interview for the junior management post," I replied.

"Which section?" the receptionist inquired.

"Um…" I said as I struggled to remember what it was. "The…uh…woman's clothing section."

"Ah, yes. Miss Rei Ayanami?" the receptionist asked next.

"That is me," I said.

"Thank you, Miss Ayanami. If you make yourself up to the thirty-eighth floor, from that elevator, go straight on, take the second left, the first right, the first left and then straight on before taking the last right towards the big office," the receptionist said swiftly before looking back down at her desk and paperwork.

"Uh…okay," I replied shakily. "Thanks."

I walked towards the elevator and struggled to remember which floor the woman had told me to go to. To say that her instructions were difficult to follow was a grave understatement. I pressed the button for the thirty-seventh floor before waiting out the elevator ride. There was some music playing inside the elevator that was annoyingly catchy and I was sure that I would not get that tune out of my head for the remainder of the day. When the elevator arrived at my desired stop, the doors opened and I found that I wasn't exactly where I wanted to be. In front of me was a whole floor dedicated to lingerie, all of which was fairly extravagant.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" asked a store clerk when she saw me wonder out of the elevator.

"Uh…no…I think I am on the wrong floor," I said before turning around and going back into the elevator rather hastily. I felt mild embarrassment having just wondered out into the lingerie section looking lost and confused and shook my head to shake off the nerves that were beginning to accumulate. These little incidents weren't helping the pre-interview stress at all either. I rode up the extra one floor and emerged out of there, only to stop and gasp at the sight in front of me.

Office cubicles. And they were everywhere. It was a literal labyrinth of office cubicles and I had to find my way through them all of them. Thankfully, there was a man wondering by who stopped when he saw me. "Can I help you, ma'am?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "I am here for the interview regarding the place as a junior manager for this section."

"Ah yes, Miss Rei Ayanami, right?" the man asked with a smile. "I have been expecting you in my office. Follow me please." I thanked whatever external and omnipotent bodies or deities there may have been for the appearance of this man and blew a sigh of relief as I followed him to his office. He was very tall and slim and was wearing a dark blue suit and a shirt and tie. His hair was slicked back and he wore frameless designer glasses which accentuated his soft eyes. I have learned to make observations of people's appearance and dress in order to make an assumption of their characters. I have become fairly good at this guessing game but I can not always 'judge a book by its cover', as they say.

"Please, take a seat," he said after sitting down behind his desk.

"Thank you, sir," I said, bowing slightly before I sat.

"Please, call me Kentaro. I don't really like being called, sir," he requested. I raised an eyebrow. I wasn't going to call someone I just met by their first name. He saw my expressions and said, "Or you can call me Mr Yamasaki, if you wish." I managed a slight smile. That was more appropriate. He took out my application and scanned it quickly before looking over at me. "You have a bachelor's degree in economics, is that correct?" he inquired.

"Yes, Mr Yamasaki, that is correct," I replied, feeling very tense at the current moment.

"What makes you think you are the person for this job?" he asked next.

"I feel that I am hardworking and intelligent and I can think on my feet. I have a strong sense of commitment and can adapt easily to any situation," I answered, this line rehearsed many times in advance.

"I see," Mr Yamasaki said, seemingly unmoved by everything I had said. He had obviously heard it all before. "Do you have any past jobs?" he inquired.

"Just one," I replied.

"Oh, that's great. Can you tell me who your employer was?"

"The United Nations."

"The UN?"

"Well, the UN Special Organisation NERV, to be exact. I was the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit 00."

"Oh," Mr Yamasaki said, "I see." Maybe I should not have informed him that I was an Eva pilot. It was not something we were required to keep a secret, but it was again information that was probably best undisclosed at a job interview. "That is quite the interesting past employment," he added. It was obvious that he didn't know what to make of it, which was understandable. I would not know how most people would evaluate piloting Eva as an effective means of telling whether they would be good in a management job.

"How are your people skills?" he asked after a moment's silence.

"My…people skills?" I said, caught off guard. I had never really prepared myself for that question.

"Your ability to talk and cope with different people in all kinds of situations. People skills are vital in a job like this," he explained.

"Well…I…" I began to say. However, I had no idea how to answer his questions. The only people I had to deal with were my close friends. I wasn't at all great at speaking to strangers or people I didn't know. In most cases, I would usually keep to myself. "Miss Ayanami," Mr Yamasaki said. "I'm assuming that people skills are not one of your strengths from your inability to answer my question?"

It was brutally frank. I could not summon a response and he could see that. He saw right through me and it left me feeling uncomfortable with this realisation that I was never ever good with people. In a group of people, I would always be the one, sitting on her own, reading a book. I had no desire to socialise if there was no need. I wasn't good when dealing with confrontations between different people because I had no idea what I could possibly do. This was something I should have though about before even considering this interview.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I don't think I'm the kind of person your job requires." I stood up, bowed slightly and turned around to leave. "Well, thank you for applying Miss Ayanami. I hope that any other job opportunities you have in line for you go well," Mr Yamasaki said, who was obviously in shock. He was incredibly surprised that I was the person to tell him that I wasn't the one for the job. It was a strange reversal of roles that came after an epiphany that had suddenly made me very self-conscious.

I took my leave from the building very hastily and wondered out into the streets. There were people everywhere I looked. They were all people that I probably couldn't deal with in a management job because I didn't have the required people skills. The more I looked, the more people I saw. I had to be able to deal with any of them. That was something I knew I couldn't do. I walked along the pavement for a while before stopping at a bench on the edge of a plaza. I sat down and retrieved my other interview forms out of my handbag. I looked through each one of them and considered what each job entailed and the more I scanned through them, the more I realised that each job required a high level of people skills. I couldn't possibly get any of these jobs after the fiasco I had during that first interview.

I took out my mobile phone and made cancellations to all of my interviews during that day. There was no way I could make myself go to any of them. After cancelling all of my job interviews, I stood up and began to walk to nowhere in particular, thinking about what to do with my life. I wanted to have a job. I wanted to lead a normal life yet today was the worst start I could possibly imagine for attaining a job.

I walked along the road and stopped by an electronics store. I looked into the shop window where there were several television sets, all showing the news. I paid attention, wanting to hear about what was going on in the world. "…and in a shocking turn of events, world-famous model Yumi Kimura, who was the face of the designer label, Yama-Gucci, run by the world renowned designer Tayo Takata, was arrested in Paris by French police for possession of cocaine. She has pleaded guilty on her charges and is expected to be sent back to Japan for trial and will be lucky to avoid a jail sentence. This has left Yama-Gucci without a main model to advertise their lines and Tayo Takata is reported to have begun the search for the next face of Yama-Gucci. According to our sources, he is in Tokyo-2 as we speak…"

I turned away in disinterest and continued on my way. I have no time for news about fashion models and their excesses. This Yumi Kimura person had thrown away everything she had worked to achieve by using drugs which are clearly stated to be illegal. It is highly illogical and I can never understand why someone could want to use drugs, especially this world famous model, because anyone who used drugs stood the risk of losing their lives and careers. I wasn't in her shoes and I didn't understand her situation so maybe I should not judge but surely logic would always prevail on the issue of illegal substance use, regardless of the situation?

I shrugged the thought off of my mind and wondered about the brand Yama-Gucci. My handbag was a Yama-Gucci one, but I had bought it because it had a combination of practicality and aesthetic appeal. I've had this bag for over a year now and it still served its purposes. I had not paid any attention to the brand when I had bought it. I only realised it was from a famous designer label after I had purchased it. Haruka said it was my 'eye for fashion' which I don't entirely agree with, but she made the point that I always managed to keep up with the latest fashions, even if I did so unknowingly.

I walked along the street before heading down a back alley that would take me to the subway station that I usually got on. It was a stark contrast to the streets with a complete absence of people. I preferred it here, where I was alone and I was the only person I had to care about. It seemed selfish, but I was a person who never really had anybody but myself until not too long ago.

As I continued along, I looked to my right to see the back of a theatre. It was a theatre I had always wanted to visit but never had the chance. I always walked past it this way and I always though about wanting to visit it. As of today, I still haven't done so and I won't visit it today either. Maybe when I got home, I would check what productions they were performing there and maybe I would go with either Misato or Haruka one night. Maybe.

Usually, it was closed during the day but now, I saw the back doors were wide open and a limousine was parked outside them. I tried to see inside the doors but it was pretty dim inside. I tried the same with the limousine but the windows were all tinted. I deduced that it was probably some famous director or actor here for the day before heading off again.

However, I stopped when I heard a man speaking from inside the doors. I looked over and saw a man dressed in a black pinstripe suit with short, black hair appear out of the doors. He was of medium build and was about as tall as Shinji (Shinji was about 175 cm tall) as well as looking in his mid twenties. He was a handsome man, but his face was twisted as he appeared to be annoyed and frustrated and his mannerisms emphasised his displeasure. He then looked over my way and saw me looking at him. "And what do you want?" he snapped rather crudely.

"Sorry," I said. "I was just passing through." I was rather shocked by his rudeness but chose to ignore in favour of just leaving. As I turned and began to walk away, the man said, "Hey, wait! I'm sorry about that!"

I turned was once to face the rear of the theatre and saw the man approach me hurriedly. "I'm terribly sorry about that, miss. I've just had a rough day back in the theatre," he said.

"It's okay," I said. "I've not had an altogether great day either, I suppose."

"It sucks, huh?" he asked.

"Yes, I agree," I replied.

"Like I said, I'm sorry for snapping at you like I did. I'm under so much pressure at the moment from so many different people," he explained.

"Are you in the theatre business?" I inquired.

"Well, no. I was running auditions, but they were different kinds of auditions. Nothing to do with stage and drama, really," he answered. "The problem is, despite being there for hours, I haven't found someone that I could use."

"That's a shame," I said. "I've just had a horrible job interview. I realised halfway through my interview that I have no people skills, which is something the job requires. I made a mess of it, to put it lightly."

"I see," the man said. "I guess we all have our fair share of troubles, eh?"

"Yes, I guess so," I agreed.

There was a short moment of silence and the man began to study my bag for some reason. "Is that a Yama-Gucci bag?" he inquired.

"Huh? Oh yes, this is a Yama-Gucci. I bought it a while ago," I replied. "How do you know?"

"Oh, let's just say I'm a bit of a Yama-Gucci expert," he said with a chuckle. "That's from last year's line; from the winter collection."

"You weren't lying when you called yourself an expert," I noted.

"Of course not," he said. "Well, what do you think of the Yama-Gucci designer label?"

"I don't know, really. This is the only bit of Yama-Gucci I own. I only discovered it was designer after I bought it because I originally purchased it because it looked practical and looked good as well," I said. "I'm not one for designer clothing, to be honest."

"I see," the man noted. "The thing is, the people who are in with designer clothing are some of the most frustrating people you will ever meet. They are almost impossible to please and they have their heads so far up their own asses, if you excuse my crudeness."

"That is understandable," I said with a nod of my head. "For me, I just buy clothes that look good and comfortable to wear. It's funny, because my friend Haruka always comments on how I manage to follow the latest fashions yet I never actually intend to. I just buy clothes I like."

"You must have an eye for fashion, then," he said with a smile.

"Haruka said that as well," I added with a light smile.

At that moment, the driver of the limousine said, "Sir, we must leave now. You have a meeting in fifteen minutes."

"Just one minute, Ken," the man said. He looked toward me and smiled. "Do you have any idea who I am?" he asked.

"No, sorry, I do not," I replied.

"No need to apologise. You said yourself that you're not one for designer clothing so it's understandable that you don't know me or the company I run," he said.

"You run a company?" I asked.

"Yes, I do," he answered. "Before I continue, may I please ask your name?"

"My name is Rei Ayanami," I said.

"Rei Ayanami...what a lovely name," he complimented. "My name is Tayo Takata and I'm the head designer and chairman of Yama-Gucci"

"You are Tayo Takata?" I asked absolute shock and surprise. I had no idea that this man was the designer I had just heard about on the TV. The thought never even occurred to me, even when he started talking about Yama-Gucci. "Yes, I am. Miss Rei Ayanami, I have a proposal for you. How would you like to become the new face of the Yama-Gucci Designer Label?"


	2. Agents and Photo Shoots

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or any of its characters. All the fictional characters and brands used in the story are purely fictional and any resemblance to real people or brands is coincidental.

* * *

I was stunned, bewildered, flabbergasted, astounded, taken aback and at a loss for words at Tayo Takata's offer. The words, 'How would you like to become the new face of Yama-Gucci?' ran through my head over, and over, and over again. I looked the man in the eyes and everything about his expression said sincerity. He sincerely wanted me to become the new face of Yama-Gucci. Why, I did not know but he obviously saw something in me that I didn't. And at a time where I was struggling with the fact that I may not easily get a job, one massive opportunity comes crashing down in front of me.

"Why…why me?" was all that I could say. My heart was racing, by brain was running itself in circles. However, I was truly excited by the prospect. This was the chance of a lifetime, as they say, and I would be a fool to let it slip by me. "Why you?" Tayo said. "Because you're the kind of woman who knows fashion naturally, yet you never really notice it. You're not into designer labels and you never ever considered for once in your entire life to be a model. That makes you the perfect choice in my eyes. Listen Rei, every single person I auditioned in there, all of them, self-obsessed girls who think they know fashion because they have all the magazines and sixty pairs of shoes. That's not what I'm looking for. Now, by some stroke of luck, I've stumbled onto you. I think you would be perfect the new face of Yama-Gucci. Not only are you attractive, you also seem sincere, and you're very modest. I don't want to make the same mistake I did when I recruited Yumi Kimura. I don't want a model who lives the high life out to extreme. I would like someone just like you, Rei. I sincerely offer you the place as Yama-Gucci's top model."

It was incredibly flattering, all adding to the frenetic excitement that I was experiencing. Never in my life had I felt this way. It was a truly incredible feeling and I knew that if I signed up for this, I would get much more of this feeling. "Mr Takata, I would gladly accept your offer," I said with a beaming smile. And it was not often that I smiled this way. "I'm glad you say that, Rei," Tayo said with a smile of his own. "And you can call me Tayo. Mr Takata is way too formal for my liking."

"Okay…Tayo," I said nervously.

"That's better," Tayo said. He then turned to his driver and said, "Ken, cancel the meeting. I have a much more important matter to deal with!"

"But sir! The board of directors have been waiting to meet with you for the past week…"

"Just do it Ken, please? If they ask, tell them I have found the new face of Yama-Gucci," Tayo said.

"This young lady?" the driver inquired.

"Yes, Ken. I would like you to drive Miss Rei Ayanami and I to Yama-Gucci's head office, if you please."

"Certainly sir," the driver replied.

Tayo looked up at me with a smile and said, "Well Rei, are you coming to begin your future at Yama-Gucci?"

I felt like jumping up and down and giggling like a little girl but instead I managed to say, "Yes please."

I climbed aboard his limousine and seated myself on the luxurious white leather seats and took a look around. Everything about it looked so expensive. The insides of the doors were lined with what I believe to be mahogany while there was a small fridge along from me as well as an LCD screen TV on the partition between the driver and the passenger compartment. Being the owner of such a prestigious designer label, it was not surprising that Tayo Takata had such an extravagent vehicle yet I was still very impressed with his limousine, most likely because I have never been in anything quite like it.

"I take it you like the limousine?" Tayo asked with a chuckle.

"It's very impressive," I answered.

"It gets me from A to B," Tayo said. "I would prefer to drive on my own but the board of directors kind of force me into using this thing wherever I go."

"The board of directors?" I asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "The company is owned under my name but really, the board of directors call a lot of the shots, especially over what I do. I guess them trying to control me is because my father is the chair of the board."

"I see," I said. "And it is frustrating for you?"

"Very," Tayo said with a sigh. "You'll learn very quickly that behind the glamour of fashion, there's a much more tedious element to this industry. And unfortunately, the board of directors will want to meet you, scrutinise you and try to make you as uncomfortable as possible. Hopefully I can get you settled into the job before that happens."

That was most worrying. This board of directors sounds like a very intimidating group of people. I was hoping that what he said would be true and I would be settled into this new line in life before I meet them. However, I was also surprised by how open Tayo was, despite only just having met. He clearly felt that this board of directors were holding him back. I assumed many men his age who were highly successful and wealthy felt the same way about the higher ups.

Before I knew it, the limousine had stopped and the driver had opened the left-hand side door. Tayo stepped out very quickly and I followed suit, emerging from the vehicle and out in front of the Yama-Gucci head office. It looked very much like a piece of modern art and the majority of the exterior of the building was covered with glass walls. It appeared as if someone had dropped a spherical blob of a viscous goo-like substance and let it droop over at one side. It didn't really appeal to me and it didn't have the grandeur of the towering skyscrapers in the centre of the city but it did stand out, which was probably its only redeeming feature.

Tayo led me inside and through the building and immediately I felt eyes all over me. It just seemed that everywhere, people were looking at me, judging me and dissecting my appearance and every move. It didn't stop until Tayo and I entered the elevator and the doors had shut behind us. Tayo looked over to me and I could tell that he could see that I was nervous. I had never felt scrutiny liked I just felt when I walked through the ground floor of Yama-Gucci's head office. It had made me feel very self-conscious.

"Are you okay?" Tayo asked.

"I'm…fine," I said slowly, although the nerves were apparent in my voice.

"People judging you and your appearance…it's just something you'll have to get used to," Tayo said. "This is where you might find this business unsavoury."

"It's okay," I said, managing a weak smile.

"Everybody there must be wondering who you are. They'll find out soon enough," Tayo said. The elevator took us to the eighth and top floor of the building where Tayo smiled to me and led me out towards his office. Once inside, he instructed me to take a seat. I did, and as I did, I looked around his very impressive office. It followed the same modern styling as the exterior of the building. On some of the walls were photographs of clothes that Tayo must have designed. I also noticed that some of his photos had Yumi Kimura in them. That led me to wonder whether my photograph would be up on his wall.

"Okay Rei," he said. "I just need to ask you a few questions."

"Very well," I said.

"How old are you?" he asked first.

"I am 23 years old," I replied.

"Do you have any family?" he asked next.

"I have one half-brother," I replied, "but I never knew my parents. I was orphaned at birth."

"I see. I am sorry to hear that."

"It is all right."

"You were just job searching right?"

"Yes, that is correct. I had just graduated from university with an economics degree and was currently searching for a job."

"I see. What of your childhood, school, hobbies, the like?"

"I, uh, well, I shall start with school. I did well in the latter years of high school, receiving good grades. I didn't really have many hobbies. I enjoyed reading and swimming, mostly."

"The intellectual type?"

"Not really. The quiet, reserved type."

Tayo chuckled before continuing, "Okay. Have you had any past modelling experience?"

"None whatsoever," was my honest reply.

"Not to worry," Tayo said. "Now, the next part involves you signing a contract to Yama-Gucci. However, your lawyer has to be present during this process."

"I don't have a lawyer," I said.

"Yeah, I was guessing that much. However, there is somebody I know how would be great for you as both an agent and a lawyer," Tayo said. "I'll just give her a call."

Tayo went to work straight away and picked up his phone handset before dialling a number. He waited for several seconds on the line before he said, "Hello. It's me, Tayo…yeah, I'm fine thanks. You? …Good to hear, good to hear. Now, listen, I've got a job for you. I've got someone in who I want as the next top model for Yama-Gucci and I was wondering if you could come in now. I know it's a lot to ask…you're just outside the building? …You were planning to come in anyway? That's great! It would be great if you could pop up to my office, thanks. Are you definitely up for this? …Sure, sure, that's great! Thanks a lot. I'll see you in a second!"

Tayo hung up and then placed his attention on me. "Now listen Rei, I've kind of went forward and hired you an agent slash lawyer on your behalf. I hope you don't mind," he said.

"It's all right," I said. "Who is she?"

"Oh, you'll love her. She's about your age and flew right through law school in about half the time it usually takes. She's got incredible people skills and has a firm sense of authority. We were lucky to recruit her for use with our models and she's turning out to be the best of the best," Tayo said. "Her name is Hikari Horaki."

"Hikari Horaki?" I asked in surprise.

Tayo was caught off guard, "You know her?"

"I went to school with her and she was always in my class," I replied. "We went to different universities though."

"Ha, that's great! Small world, huh?"

"I guess so," I said. It was quite incredible. I hadn't really heard from Hikari since I heard she had graduated law school two years early with an honours degree. I had heard she was a bit of a prodigy in her field but had no idea that she ended up working for Yama-Gucci.

"Hey Tayo," she said, walking into the office unannounced. Tayo looked up to her and smiled and I turned around to see her for the first time in years. "And this must be the new…whoa, hold on! Rei?! Is that really you?!" she exclaimed. I understood her surprise. I was probably the last person she expected as the new face of Yama-Gucci. "Oh my god! It is you Rei!" she said. "I can't believe it! _You're_ the new face of Yama-Gucci?! That's incredible!" I couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Hikari," I said. "And it's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you as well!" Hikari said. "God, I never expected this."

"Me neither, to be honest," I said.

"That makes the job a whole lot easier, doesn't it?" Tayo asked with a chuckle.

"It sure does!" Hikari said.

Her appearance really wasn't too different from how I last remembered. She still had those freckles on her checks that were a distinguishing feature of her face. The only noticeable differences were her hair and the clothes she wore. Her hair was in a single ponytail rather than the pigtails she always had them in when we were in school and she was wearing a rather suave grey suit that she was most likely expected to wear being a lawyer for such a big company. Apart from that, she was still the old Hikari. I knew that she was engaged to Toji Suzuhara. 23 years of age seemed a bit young to be preparing to get married but I guess if it was their wish, then there was nothing stopping them.

"So, now that Hikari is here, we can seal the deal," Tayo said.

"She's not signing anything until I've looked over the contract," Hikari said, going into business mode.

Tayo chuckled and said, "Of course." Hikari picked up the contract and scanned through and when she was finished, she scanned through it. I had not considered that this would be an incredibly hefty commitment and that if the terms of the contract couldn't suit me, then it was maybe worth considering negotiating the terms. Hikari finished reading through it a second time and placed it in front of me. "You can have a read yourself," she said. "But from what I've seen, it seems a very fair and flexible agreement."

I nodded my head and scanned through the terms. And Hikari was right; it was very fair and flexible. It was definitely worth taking. I looked up and Tayo was holding up a fountain pen in his right hand. "Well, this pen's only good if you want to sign it," he said. With a smile on my face, I took the pen and signed my name at the bottom of the contract. "There," I said. "It's done."

"Welcome to Yama-Gucci, Rei," Tayo said, standing up from behind his desk. He extended his hand and I took it where we shook as a reaffirmation of the sealing of the contract. He gave me a smile as he did, although this was different from all the other ones I had seen. This wasn't the businessman smile that he used as part of his charismatic appeal; it was more like the smiles I used to see Shinji give Asuka. It gave me an odd sensation that rather agreeable, but I wasn't too sure what it was. "Now, Hikari," Tayo said once we were done shaking hands. "You'll have a copy of the contract faxed to you as per usual."

"That's fine," Hikari said. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'm going out to catch up with Rei."

"You're more than welcome," Tayo said. "Rei, it's been an absolute pleasure meeting you."

"And it has been a pleasure meeting you, Tayo," I said with a smile.

Hikari and I left the building and emerged onto the streets of Tokyo-2. It was approaching lunchtime and I was feeling rather hungry. "How does lunch sound?" Hikari asked, as if she was reading my mind.

"That sounds great," I said.

"I know this great place just opposite the football stadium," Hikari said. "I'll just get my car." We walked on for about five minutes before we reached a multi-storey car park and went to the ground level to get into Hikari's car. I wasn't sure what make it was, but it was very nice and fairly expensive looking.

She set off at a pretty rapid place and we got to the restaurant in about fifteen minutes despite the traffic. It was a modern Japanese restaurant that had a traditional flair to it which appealed to me. After entering, we took our seats inside. "So, tell me Rei, tell me what you've been up to in the years we haven't seen each other?" Hikari asked after we had placed our orders.

"Graduating university and trying to find a job until this all happened," I replied. "And you?"

"Well, I graduated Osaka Law two years ago and I've been working as a lawyer for Yama-Gucci for the past year and a half. Apparently, Tayo thinks I'm good so I got about half a year working with Yumi Kimura until her little incident in Paris. After that, I was kind of without a job and I was coming today to check if Tayo had any new work for me and then there you are, the new face of Yama-Gucci," Hikari said.

"Tayo said it was a small world," I said.

"Sure is," Hikari agreed. "How are Asuka and Shinji doing?"

"They are currently in Cambodia from what I've last heard," I answered. "They are travelling the world for six months."

"Really? That's news to me," Hikari said. "Just Asuka and Shinji?"

"Yes."

"Together?"

"Yes."

"Without anyone else?"

"Yes."

Hikari laughed and said, "Sounds like they hit it off."

"I do believe that they are in a relationship together," I noted.

"That pretty much confirms it," Hikari said.

"I hear that you are engaged to Toji, is this true?" I inquired.

"Guilty as charged," Hikari replied. "He proposed to me just after he graduated. It was so incredibly sweet; he went down on one knee and everything! Obviously, we plan to have a long engagement period before we finally tie the knot but honestly, I couldn't think of any other person to spend the rest of my life with."

"That is good to hear," I said with a smile.

"What about you, Rei? Is there a man in your life?" Hikari inquired.

Her question caused me to blink in surprise. I had not expected that one coming. "Uh, no, there isn't," I replied.

"Really? Come on Rei, surely there had to have been someone you met during university or something," Hikari said.

"No, not really," I replied. "None of those guys really interested me."

"Do you prefer the intelligent type?" Hikari asked.

"I don't know," I said. "I don't really know what I would be looking for in a man."

"Oh, come on Rei! Just think of things off the top of your head that you want in a man!" Hikari said.

"Well…I would prefer him not to be arrogant. If they can hold down an interesting conversation, then that would be agreeable as well," I said, just thinking of the first things off of my head, just like Hikari said.

"Well, it's a start, isn't it?" Hikari chuckled. "What about Tayo? What do you think of him?"

"Tayo?" I asked. "I've not really thought about that."

"Surely you must have? He's so hot, it's unbelievable. And he's only, what, 26?" Hikari said.

"I thought you were engaged," I said.

"That doesn't mean I can't say Tayo's hot! And besides, there's only really been one man for me since the start. Anyway, you haven't answered my question!" Hikari said. And she looked at me expectantly, wanting an answer out of me. Her powers of persuasion were quite incredible. I guess that's why she was the class rep for every year she had been school and an extraordinary lawyer.

"At the moment, I can't say I haven't known him long enough to make that judgement. As it stands, he is just my boss," I replied.

"I see. You're the kind of girl who doesn't just want looks; you have to get to know the person to make sure they're the right kind of guy for you," Hikari said.

"I think that is it," I said. "But like I said, I'm not too sure what I want from a relationship."

"I can't believe you never indulged during university! Guys would kill just to breathe the same air as you!" Hikari complimented.

My modesty immediately kicked in, "I think that's a bit of an exaggeration, Hikari."

"But no, seriously, think about it? You're the new face of Yama-Gucci! You've obviously had the looks going for you and your dress sense is impeccable! You must have some reason why you never dated during university," Hikari persisted.

"Well, it must just be me trying to keep to myself," I said weakly. "Also, if those guys just want me for my looks, then what hope is there for me to get to know them?"

"Ah," Hikari said. "That's a very good point."

"I guess looks don't really matter too much to me," I added.

"Hate to break it to you, Rei, but you're in a business where you make it or break it on your appearance. Not that you would have to worry about your appearance, but be warned, it's a cut throat business. Thousands of girls would kill to be in your shoes. One mistake and that could be it for you," Hikari explained.

"If I went out of the fashion industry, then it would be no great loss," I said. "I can just do what I normally do from day to day. Maybe I'll even get another job."

"Rei, you're so down to earth, it's incredible!" Hikari said.

At that moment, our food came and we began to eat immediately before continuing our conversation. "As I was saying, you're so down to earth, Rei. From the models I've worked with and met, they all seem to have an air of snobbery about them, as if they are better than everyone else. Many think the world revolves around them. Now, I've only worked with a few so this probably isn't the case for the majority. You, on the other hand, are very different from the ones I've worked with. You're modest, quiet, reserved and yet you have this fascinating appeal about you. I can tell you right now, Rei, you're going to be a big hit. Fashion critics are going to love you," Hikari said assertively.

"Well…uh, thank you," I said, not knowing what else to say.

"And you better believe it, Rei," Hikari added. "As your agent, I'm going to make sure you get all the acclaim that you are worthy off."

"I'm glad you are doing this for me, Hikari," I said with a smile.

"Hey, it's my job. The fact that I'm working with a friend is just an added bonus," Hikari said.

Hikari raised her glass and said, "To you, the new face of Yama-Gucci."

I raised mine and said, "Thank you Hikari. Cheers."

"Cheers." We clinked our glasses together and took a drink. It is customary to do this with an alcoholic beverage, namely champagne but my apple juice and Hikari's coke would just have to do for the moment. It didn't matter anyway and at that moment, I began to think that things were looking up. Maybe being a model for a massive designer label wasn't the normal life I had been looking for but it was a life that I surely couldn't miss out on.

* * *

It was a new day and a new day that presented my first photo shoot representing Yama-Gucci. "This is going to be all over the big fashion magazines, newspapers, the TV, everything. The whole of Japan will have their eyes on the new face of Yama-Gucci. No pressure," Tayo said with a smile.

"Yeah, no pressure," I said. I had been feeling nervous all day yet Tayo reminding me of how many places I would be seen had slightly reassured me, instead of making more nervous. Maybe it was because he was smiling. I seemed to feel better when Tayo smiled, which seemed a bit odd because I never usually thought of smiles being more than a facial expression.

"Okay Rei, this is Kenji Yamamoto," Tayo said. "He's Yama-Gucci's head photographer and he made time out of his very busy schedule to come today and take your promo shots personally."

"Hello," I said.

"Hello there, Miss Ayanami. I understand this is your first ever photo shoot?" Mr Yamamoto inquired.

"Yes sir, it is," I replied.

"No need to call me sir! Far too formal! Kenji will do," he said. "And don't worry; I'll talk you through everything. After we're done, you'll have some of the finest shots of yourself you've ever seen!" The man was in his mid forties and wore his long hair in a pony-tail. He had sharp cheeks and his eyes were very intense. It looked as if he was always focusing on something and analysing it. That must be part of why he was a photographer in the position he was.

I was dressed in a white long sleeve top that was thin and light and it barely rested on my shoulders, hence why it was fairly low cut. Along with that, I was wearing a black mini skirt and black leather high heeled boots that came up to just below my knees. And they all felt glorious. Maybe the fact that it was designer really did mean higher quality. Getting it all on took quite a while. That was just the clothes. The make up and hair took at least half an hour and apparently that's how it long for them to do things quickly. As well as that, there was a team of people just dedicated to making me look good. I never realised all the fuss they made over just one person. It was hard not to feel like I was being treated like a queen but I tried to keep polite and thanked every person that helped me out. There were many thank yous to be said but I managed to go through all of them, I think. After getting dressed and prepped along with the accessories, Kenji took me through the poses he had in his head. It was simple enough but there was only a white background behind me. That meant that all the focus of the photographs would be me. No pressure.

"Okay Rei, just give me some of the poses we went over," Kenji requested with his camera at the ready. I began with the first pose and then suddenly, my body went into autopilot. I just went into different posses without really thinking about it. Some of them weren't even ones that Kenji had shown me. "Wow, these are just incredible! Are you sure this is your first ever shoot?" Kenji asked, still behind his camera. To answer him, I just managed a smile which was rather sultry, not something I would usually do. "Wow, looking gorgeous Rei! Keep them coming, keep them coming!" Kenji said, taking even more photos. I gave one last pose before Kenji stopped altogether. "That's marvellous babe, just marvellous!" Kenji said with a beaming smile. "We have two more shoots to do with two outfits from the new collection before we do a swimwear shoot. If those shoots go as well as that one just did, I think we're going to turn you into a star, Rei!"

The second outfit was a black dress with thin straps that went down to about the halfway point of my hips. I also had to wear black high heels and the high heels were something I wasn't too accustomed to. However, I could stand in them and that served my purposes well enough. The thing about this dress was that it was so tight. It seemed as if it were pushing my legs together and pushing my…well, my bust outward. However, my discomfort disappeared as soon as I was in front of the camera. Any uncertainties I had about modelling just vanished as soon as I struck the first pose. And it was turning out to be really good fun. "These are dazzling Rei, absolutely stunning!" Kenji said. "You're a natural!" At that moment, I blew a kiss to the camera which is completely and utterly out of character if I say so myself, but I did it anyway. "Wow! That was hot! Rei, these are incredible!" Kenji said in an excited tone.

After that shoot was done, I had to do one more which was in a dark blue silk kimono which was just wonderful to wear beyond belief. It took ages to get ready for the shoot but when I was good to go, I couldn't wait. After that was done, there was just the swimwear shoot. And that had gotten me worried. The word 'swimwear' never really dawned on me until now. I had to go out in front of the camera baring most of my body and all of a sudden, the nerves returned. I hadn't considered that I would have to be photographed in revealing clothing at first but I was quickly learning that it was all part and parcel of it all. I went out in front of the camera once again. "Okay Rei, it's time to work that magic of yours again!" Kenji said. I thought I would freeze in front of the camera this time. It turned out I was very wrong. As soon as I heard that first click, I was off on autopilot again, producing "yet another fabulous photo shoot" as Kenji put it.

The entire shoot took almost five hours yet it didn't seem that long to me. Time just flew by me and was long gone before I knew it. "Well, Miss Ayanami," Kenji said, extending his hand, "they are sure going to go crazy over these."

"Thank you," I said, taking his hand.

"No, thank _you_, Miss Ayanami. You really are a natural and I'll be honest, you're much easier to work with than Yumi Kimura ever was," Kenji said.

"It was a pleasure working with you, Kenji," I said with a beaming smile.

"The pleasure was all mine, I assure you," Kenji replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head to my office to get these photos on the computer and once they're out, you're going to be a star, I assure you."

I bowed slightly to him as he left and he waved before disappearing off. "You must be the most polite model that's ever graced Yama-Gucci," Tayo said with a chuckle.

"Oh, hello Tayo," I said. "Did you just arrive again?"

"No, I stayed for the duration of the shoot," he answered with a smile.

"I am sorry. I never saw you because I thought you had left after the shoot had started," I said with a slight bow.

"No need to apologise. I was there, but I stayed out the way," Tayo pointed out. "I've been getting piles of praise about you."

"Praise?" I asked. I had only just begun. How could I have received praise?

"All the make up, hair and clothes people all commented on how polite and nice you are and Kenji said you've been the nicest, most polite and down to earth model he's ever worked with," Tayo explained.

"Oh, that is nice of all of them," I said.

"No, it's very nice of you. Rei, you don't have to be polite and say thank you to everyone who helps you. They're just doing their job, you're just doing yours. Yet, you choose to do so anyway and a little politeness goes a long way," Tayo said. "I was sure there was something different about you when we first met."

"I am just being…me," was all I could say.

Tayo took a step forward and placed his arm on my shoulder and said, "Keep doing that, Rei. It'll make you stand out from the rest of the crowd. The whole world will soon recognise you for who you are, trust me." He smiled that smile of his and I couldn't help but smile myself and feel good inside. This was where my journey into the fashion industry would begin.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up and headed off to the bathroom. I didn't make my bed, nor did I feel like doing so. After taking a shower, I went out into my kitchen and prepared myself some rice and miso soup (it was instant stuff, as to avoid the inevitable doom I would face had I actually attempted to cook). After eating breakfast, I turned on my TV to watch the news like I always did in the morning and was shocked and surprised that there was a news story just about me.

"…and after the dismissal of the former top model, Yumi Kimura due to cocaine use, a seemingly unknown model has been named as the new face of Yama-Gucci. The only thing we know about her is her name, Rei Ayanami. Everything about her is a mystery thus far. Top fashion magazines are frantically adjusting their monthly magazines which are set to be released in a week to accommodate for the sudden appearance of this new model that has all the fashion critics talking. After interviews with her are released, I'm sure we'll learn more about her…."

It was incredible, to say the least. I hadn't expected the news to travel this quickly but Yama-Gucci were obviously keen to let people know that I was their new top model. As I continued to watch the story, my phone rang. I went up to it and the caller ID identified the caller as one Misato Katsuragi. I picked the phone up and said, "Hello?"

"REI! YOU'RE ALL OVER THE NEWS!" Misato screamed down the line. I had to peel my ear away from the handset momentarily as she did. "I am aware of that," I said.

"The new face of Yama-Gucci?! How the hell did you pull this gig off Rei?! I had no idea you were into modelling and stuff!" Misato continued at a frantic pace.

"I wasn't into modelling before. I just met Tayo Takata in a back alley and he…well, offered me the place as their top model," I explained calmly down the line.

"YOU MET TAYO TAKATA IN A BACK ALLEY??!!" Misato cried once again. "Rei, you know that girls all over Japan would give an arm and a leg for your position?"

"I am aware of that," I said.

"You sound so calm, Rei! Aren't you excited?!" Misato asked.

"I am excited, yes," I said.

"That's good, that's good. Well, listen, I've got to make a dash for work. Good luck with everything! How you pulled this off, I will never know! Bye!"

"Goodbye," I replied before hearing Misato hang up. I checked the time. 8:47. It seemed Misato would be late for work again. She had a tendency to do so when I lived with her and I was surprised to find out that Misato was still so careless. But then again, it was just part of who Misato was.

My phone rang again and this time it was an unknown caller. I picked it up anyway. "Hello?" I said.

"_Guten morgen_, Wondergirl!"

I was happy to hear that voice, "Oh, hello Asuka!"

"Hello to you, Miss 'New Face of Yama-Gucci'! Everybody's talking about you back home, eh?" Asuka said.

"I believe so. Where are you now?" I asked.

"We're in Kuala Lumpur. I was just watching the Japanese news to find out what was going on and I saw your name up in lights!"

"I see. Is Shinji there?"

"The idiot's sleeping. It's still the early hours of the morning here."

"Ah, yes, so it is. Have you two enjoyed your trip?"

"It's been great! We've been about the place! The next stop is Australia and boy won't that be fun! I'm sure Shinji sent you another e-mail. We've got some great pics of us in Kuala Lumpur, although they aren't as saucy as your modelling pics!"

I chuckled and said, "I will be sure to check them as soon as I can. Also, you won't believe who my agent is."

"Who?"

"None other than Hikari Horaki."

"Hikari?! She's your agent?!"

"Well, agent slash lawyer."

"That's wacky. I never expected her to be a lawyer for Yama-Gucci. How did you pull this whole thing off anyway?"

"I met Tayo Takata in a back alley, we had a chat and he offered me the job."

"Wow, incredible. I guess this opportunity just kind of flew in straight in front of you, eh?"

"It did indeed," I said. "Listen Asuka, can I clear something up with you?"

"Sure, go for it."

"Are you involved with Shinji?"

"Involved as in…?"

"A relationship."

There was a brief period of silence before Asuka said, "Yes, I am. I think it's pretty serious, Rei."

"A serious relationship?" I asked.

"Yeah. I think I'm in love with him."

"That's great Asuka! That's good to hear."

"You know, after all we've been through, I never expected to see the day that I fall for the idiot and that you become a famous model!"

"I could see you and Shinji together before me being a model, to be honest."

"Well, you can take your pick! Anyway, my bed is calling me back to it and I've got a long day ahead of me. See you later Rei! And once you're at the top, remember who your friends are!"

"I will do Asuka. Take care."

"Bye Rei."

Whenever I talked on the phone, I always waited for the person on the other end to hang up first before placing the handset down myself. I guess it was one of my little habits. Oddly, as soon as I put the phone down it began to ring again. I picked it up and said, "Hello?"

"Rei, Hikari here, I've been trying to get to you for ages! Listen, you've got a pile of interviews lined up for today. Can you be at the office in an hour?"

"Yeah, sure, I'll be there."

"Thanks." I placed the phone back in its cradle once again and this time it didn't ring. I looked up at the clock was read nearly 9 o'clock. I was needed in one hour. Interviews Hikari had said. I guess this was where it would all kick-start.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I mention 'football' once in the story. Just to clarify, it is NOT the American variant of the sport. It's not big in Japan as far as I am aware. 


	3. Paparazzi and Background Stories

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or any of its characters. All the fictional characters and brands used in the story are purely fictional and any resemblance to real people or brands is coincidental.

**Author's Note:** It was about time I updated this!

* * *

Waking up in the morning was something I both loved and loathed these past few weeks. I loved it because I knew that I had found myself an enjoyable career path (or more like it had found me) that provided me with a large income. I loathed it because of the fuss that people known as the media made. I could not exit my flat without at least half a dozen photographers taking photographs. Every time I went grocery shopping, or any kind of shopping for that matter, I could not shake the feeling that I was being followed. Well, to be honest, I knew that I was being followed. These media people weren't so discreet about it. At least they didn't try to ask me questions like they had done before. That had been incredibly annoying. Now, I'm just stalked everywhere I go.

"You've got to learn to live with it," Hikari had said. "Like it or not, it's their job. You've just got to deal with the paparazzi as best you can. Besides, you've got one of the best jobs in the word and there's always a price to pay for good things." I have also come to learn that there are two kinds of media people. There are the bad kind, the paparazzi, who stalk you and try to get anything they possibly can into their tabloid magazines and newspapers. Once, I saw a front page story about how my hair went when it got wet and how it was 'shocking'. I could not believe that people spent time writing an article and wasted perfectly good paper on producing such a futile story. And the problem was there are so many of these small time tabloids that somehow have a readership large enough to sustain their continued pestering.

The other media is the kind I have come to know as the good media. These are the broadsheet newspapers, the big fashion magazines and TV news channels. They all asked me through Hikari for interviews and requested to take photographs and film. Everything was done with my consent and they were friendly and amiable, not oppressive and annoying. I would do anything sometimes to wake up, walk out of my flat and not have a million camera lenses pushed up against my face so that the pictures could be used in some ridiculous story about anything these people could think about. Some of them even commented on the flat I lived in, saying that it was hardly fit for a supermodel. I don't know what was so 'super' about my modelling and I also didn't know what it had to do with the size of the flat I lived in. I was happy with my flat so I didn't see what the fuss was about.

Because I tried my best to stay away from the paparazzi, I was quickly becoming hard to find for them. The saddest thing was that this was much unlike some celebrities that actually go out to be photographed and to receive attention from the paparazzi, much to my surprise. This world of fame and celebrity just got weirder the more I delved into it and I very much intended to keep away from the extreme lengths some people went to for attention.

Today, I had to do a photo shoot just at Yama-Gucci so I assumed that it would be a fairly quiet day if I managed to walk outside my flat undetected. I found that it was impossible to take the subway these days without being hounded by photographers. I didn't mind regular people asking for autographs or having photos taken with them because they were generally very nice and I could speak to them. I know I have ranted long and hard about the paparazzi but with the way they are, it is very easy to rant about them! I left my flat and emerged out into the open air, wary that I might not be alone. Thankfully however, there were no photographers in sight and I also decided to take the subway because of this. I was also very early out of the flat, so I then thought I would take an unscheduled detour this morning.

The subway ride was short and fairly enjoyable. There were a few people who recognised me and asked for autographs and photographs. After that, I managed to get a decent conversation out of them, which was a pleasant diversion to my morning. Once I reached what used to be my usual stop, I disembarked the train and headed out into the street and towards the café that used to always be the first stop of my day. However, I hadn't managed to go there in the past few weeks and I was going to make it up to Haruka by making an unscheduled stop here. I walked through the glass doors of the café and went up to the counter and like always, Haruka was manning the till. Her eyes lit up when she saw me as did mine when I saw her. "Ah, hello Rei. The usual?" she inquired.

I smiled, "Yes please."

I took my usual seat and Haruka joined me after placing a latte in front of me. "So, long time no see, Rei! And I gather you've been pretty busy all over the TV and fashion magazines," Haruka chuckled.

"Sorry I couldn't come here sooner. It's just been hectic," I apologised.

"Heck, don't worry about it!" Haruka said. "At least you showed face, right? God, how did this ever happen?"

"I don't know. It just did," I said.

"There have been so many stories in the tabloids and different magazines about how Yama-Gucci found you! I didn't really know what to believe. Is it true that it was Tayo Takata himself that found you?" Haruka inquired.

"That's true," I said. "I was walking home, disappointed after messing up my interview when I somehow bumped into him. The rest is history, as they say."

"Some might say you were lucky," Haruka mused. "Others might call it fate."

"Fate? I do not believe in predestination," I stated.

"Some do. I think it's a little more than coincidental. I'm not saying it's predestination, or fate, or whatever you want to call it, but I'm just saying that maybe you weren't just in the right place, at the right time and said the right things," Haruka explained. "Heck, maybe it's karma."

"Karma? Like good deeds leading to good?" I inquired. I wasn't so familiar with the concept of karma but I had a rough idea.

"That's the one," Haruka said. "I don't know what it is, but maybe you've done something to deserve this good fortune!"

"Maybe," I said. "Although I can't think of anything I have done to grant me this."

"You were always so modest Rei," Haruka said. "And becoming a supermodel hasn't done anything to affect that." Despite the new world I found myself in, I still wasn't accustomed to sincere compliments and blushed at Haruka's words. She was quick to spot this. "And you're blushing as well! My god Rei, you really haven't changed one bit!" Haruka laughed.

"It has only been a few weeks," I said sheepishly.

"I hear that it only takes hours in that business to change a person," Haruka pointed out.

"That may be true," I said. "But the only bad thing I've really come against is the media."

"You probably should have expected that," Haruka said. "Say, would you like a muffin?" My eyes immediately lit up and I was sure that I began to whimper. Haruka laughed and said, "I'll take that as a yes."

After having a long and enjoyable catch-up conversation with Haruka, I made my way back onto the subway and began to make my way towards Yama-Gucci headquarters. The subways were already very crowded and it allowed me to stay relatively unnoticed from the large majority of the people around me. Some did recognise me, but couldn't make much of it because they were crammed into a corner by a mass of people. Tokyo-2 was a very busy city which made blending in slightly easier at times. Having blue hair didn't help, but I managed to stay low-key nonetheless. I reached my stop and got off, getting out just in time to avoid a mass rush of people.

I once again emerged onto the street and went off on the fairly short walk towards the Yama-Gucci building. However, as I just about made it inside, about half a dozen photographers appeared, some jumping out from behind bushes, some even emerging from recycling bins, all with their cameras at the ready. "Rei!" some of theme yelled. At that moment, I quickened my pass and went straight for the door to minimise the time those photographers had for snapping randomly placed pictures of me. I pushed the door and got inside as quickly as possible, knowing that if the photographers got anywhere near the building, security would 'politely' ask them to leave. I even felt like turning around and blowing a raspberry at the pursuing paparazzi but I knew that would just be another photo opportunity for them so I decided against doing so. It was childish, anyway.

I made my way through the main foyer and made sure to smile to the secretaries on my way in. They all smiled back as I entered the elevator. I remember on how on my first day here, they all looked at me with judging eyes but I guess things have changed. Maybe it was only because I was the new top model for Yama-Gucci, but I made the effort to smile and say hello when I could, because I was learning that people appreciated things like that. I guess that I was not only becoming more aware of my own feelings, but the feelings of others, and it is getting that balance right that is so vital in day to day life.

I exited the elevator once I got to my desired floor and was greeted by Tayo himself this morning which was a pleasant surprise. He was usually always busy so I never saw him during my photo shoots. "Morning Rei," he greeted with a smile.

"Morning Tayo," I replied.

"How are you Rei? Ready for today's shoot?"

I managed a smile and said, "Yes, I am, thank you."

"That's good," he said before walking me in. Kenji was there setting up his camera equipment while a team of workers were waiting to put me in different items of clothing, do my hair in many different styles as well as a make up team. I always felt that I didn't need that many people fretting over me, but as time went on, I got more and more used to them being around.

Today was just a standard photo shoot, although more emphasis was put on accessories, which in this case were several different bags from Yama-Gucci's latest range. After the shoot, I was about to go away and change back into my regular clothes when Tayo appeared, looking very nervous. "Rei," he said, "could you, uh, come into my office."

"Sure," I said. "What is it?"

"My father," he replied. "He wants to meet you."

"Ah," I said.

He said I had been lucky not to meet him thus far. I didn't know much about Tayo's father but I was sure he couldn't be as bad as Tayo made him out to be. I knew he was the chairman of the board of directors, but that was about it. I followed Tayo to his office where he suddenly stopped at the door. "Okay Rei," he said. "I'm warning you know, he'll try and unnerve you and make you feel as uncomfortable as possible,"

"Uh, okay," I said before Tayo opened the door and led me inside his office. Tayo's father was sitting down behind the desk, writing something down on a piece of paper. Without looking up, he said, "Sit down."

I did as he asked and took the seat in front of the desk. Tayo sat down just adjacent to me, looking incredibly nervous. "You are Rei Ayanami, correct?" he asked, still with his eyes on piece of paper he was writing on.

"Yes sir," I replied as politely as possible.

"I see you've settled right into our business," he added.

"Yes sir, I have," I said, wondering why Tayo was so nervous.

The man looked up from his paper and straight towards me. He was a man of around sixty with a lean, regal figure and a full head of black hair. He had a thick, bushy moustache that covered a considerable portion of his upper lip and he was dressed in the usual business attire of a suit. From his appearance, I would have deduced nothing untoward about the man, although he did speak without looking at me, which possibly indicated that he had a dismissive view of me. However, these are first impressions and as important as they are, I cannot let that be the final image of this man. Plus, I had no idea why Tayo thought he was so bad either.

"Very well," he said. "My name is Sai Takata. I am the chairman of the board of directors and I am also Tayo's father. You may be aware of both these facts but I shall make them clear to you regardless. Now, answer me one question, Miss Rei Ayanami. Have you had any previous modelling experience before joining us here at Yama-Gucci?"

"No sir," I replied honestly. At this point in time, Tayo's face was incredibly pale, even paler than my skin.

"I see," Sai Takata said, glancing over the Tayo, giving him what appeared to be a look of disapproval. "What did you do then, before joining Yama-Gucci?"

"I was studying at Tokyo-2 University," I replied.

"What was your field of study?" he asked next.

"Economics," I replied.

This was beginning to feel more like an interrogation than a first meeting. It wasn't the questions he was asking, it was how he was asking them. The questions came thick and fast and he didn't seem to stop to breath. It was then that I began to feel uncomfortable and I saw the Tayo had been right. Sai Takata could have made this more relaxed had he chosen to, but instead he had chosen to push me into the back of my seat with his questioning. However, the only thing I could do was take it on the chin and try to get through it all without breaking.

"Tayo," he said, suddenly taking his attention off of me and onto his son.

"Yes, father?" Tayo asked.

"Did you do a background check on Miss Rei Ayanami?" Sai Takata inquired.

"Uh…no father," he replied. At this point, I was feeling pretty small and insignificant. He didn't even bother lowering his voice or speaking to Tayo in private. He wanted me to know that he didn't like the fact I hadn't done any modelling before I had joined Yama-Gucci and was interested to find out where my origins lay. That had me worried. What would he think if he discovered that I was the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit 00?

"Well Tayo, I suggest you have a word with Miss Ayanami about her background then and report back to me with your findings," he said, standing up and putting his pen into his inside suit pocket. "Miss Ayanami, it's been a pleasure."

"Likewise, sir," I said. He swiftly left without another word and made no attempt to shake hands or any other gesture of that kind. It left me feeling slightly bewildered and Tayo was in an even worse state. He looked like a nervous wreck. He stood up and said, "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's all right," I said, managing a weak smile.

"I would like to say that he's like that with all our models but I would be lying if I said that. He really doesn't like the fact that you've had no past experience," Tayo explained.

"I could see that," I said. "However, I can provide you with my background if necessary."

"I'm sorry to say that I'm going to have to get it if I am going to get him off of your back," Tayo said. "However, I don't want to interrogate you like he did."

"I am happy to give out my background, whatever the circumstances," I said.

"I know you are Rei," Tayo said, "but I'm not happy cross examining you for something like your background."

I sat there, not really knowing what to say. Tayo stood up with his hand over his chin, trying to think of something. "Actually," he said. "You've finished your work for the day, haven't you?"

"I have, yes," I confirmed.

"How about we have lunch at this great place I know," Tayo said. "It'll be on me. And while we're there, we'll swap stories."

"Swap stories?" I asked.

"Yeah, I tell you my background and you tell me yours. It's only fair. This way, it'll be a lot more relaxed and we'll get to know each other better as well," Tayo said. It wasn't a bad sounding offer at all and I was beginning to feel hungry. "Okay," I said. "We shall do that, then."

"Great," Tayo said. "And you'll love this restaurant."

He was right. I did love it. It was situated at the very top floor of a Tokyo-2 skyscraper in the city centre and being up there provided a marvellous all round view of the city as the whole floor had glass walls supported by a few steel struts. It was breathtaking. I could see for many miles all around me with seemingly no end in sight. The visibility today was literally just as far as the eye could see. "So, how is it?" Tayo asked.

"This place is incredible!" I said. "How did you ever find it?"

"I looked it up in the phone book, actually," Tayo said with a laugh. "Amazing what you can find if you just look."

"That is true," I said. "So, where are we sitting?"

"The best seats in the house," Tayo said, leading me up to an area of the restaurant section off in the corner of the room. There was only one table there and we have a considerable portion of the window to ourselves.

As soon as we took our seats, I stared out of the window, almost in the same manner I used to do whenever I sat in the classroom of class 2A in junior high. Of course, this view was a lot better and I didn't have so much on my mind as I had did back then with piloting Eva to worry about. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Tayo asked.

"Yeah," I said. "It reminds me of when I was in junior high. I never paid attention. I just used to stare out of the window for hours."

"Were you always one to look for bigger and better things?" Tayo inquired.

"No, not really…It just helped me to think about everything back then," I replied. "Anyway, shall we order?"

"Sounds like a plan," Tayo said with a smile.

It seemed Tayo wanted to extend this as long as possible as we chose starters before our main course and I expected that we would have dessert as well. To be honest, I was grateful for that because I was absolutely starving. "So Rei, I think I'll start of with telling you a bit about myself," Tayo said.

"No, that isn't necessary, Tayo, I'll…"

He interjected and said, "No Rei, I insist. It's only fair that I go first."

"…Very well," I said, conceding to Tayo's persistence.

"Okay, to begin with, I was a failure in school," Tayo said. "I bombed out of senior high with scrapped passes in all my subjects except art which I got an A for. After school, I worked odd jobs while I kept on drawing in my spare time. I become more and more fascinated in architecture of all things, but also doing things like portraits before eventually working on clothing designs. My father noticed some of those clothing designs, helped me to set up Yama-Gucci and I had to take it from there. My father was already a very rich man but was a firm believer in a man being 'self-made' so because of that, I had to do everything in Yama-Gucci to get it going. It was really hard for the first year or so, and it was struggling financially. However, I got lucky when the label attracted the attention of Yumi Kimura, an already famous supermodel who was looking for a new contract. She came to us, and the rest is history.

"Prior to high school, I was your average failing student. I think back then I had the wrong attitude and never knew the meaning of hard work, just because my father was already very rich. I thought that regardless of what I did at school, I would be set for life afterwards. Of course, as soon as he discovered my grades he wasn't best pleased and literally kicked me out of the house as soon as I finished school. I have no idea why he helped me out with Yama-Gucci. Maybe he saw an opportunity to expand his wallet space. Maybe he genuinely thought I could work at it. Whatever it is, without his help, I would have never gotten started. Of course, once I had gotten started, I never got any of his help. So, I guess that's my life story."

I sat there, soaking it all in. And as I did, I wondered whether I should give him the story I had given everybody else about my childhood, or whether I should tell him, for the most part, the truth. That would include telling him about piloting Eva. Looking out at the city, I decided there could be nothing I could possibly lose by telling him the truth about Eva. However, I did need to fabricate a story about my origins because that part of my story is one I want to forget forever.

"Well," I said, "I've grown up without ever knowing my family. I was orphaned at an age too young for me to remember anything and I was taken in by a man and raised by him. I was a shy, quiet child, and I struggled to make friends. As well as that, I was chosen to take part in a very special program when I was very young, maybe about four years old."

"A special program?" Tayo asked.

"Are you familiar with the Evangelion Units?" I asked.

"Yes, I am," Tayo said. "They always used to amaze me. Why do you ask?"

"Because I was chosen to be the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit 00," I said.

Tayo was clearly taken aback by this piece of information. "You? You were an Eva pilot? I can't believe that," he said.

"It's true. And when I was 14, I began the fight against the angels alongside my fellow pilots who I still know to this day and I am very good friends with. My time as an Eva pilot was turbulent to say the least, with every day unpredictable. I was a different person back then though. I was much quieter and a little less understanding of people's emotions. It took Third Impact for me to change how I was," I explained.

"Third Impact," Tayo said. "Now there's something people never talk about. They always try to push that subject into a corner and ignore it."

"It is something I could never possibly forget, as an Eva pilot," I said. I kept out the part about me being the catalyst to start it. That piece of information was probably best left unmentioned.

"I never understood the things that went on during that day," Tayo said. "And suddenly, after it all, I'm back on planet Earth along with the rest of the human race and we all just try to restart our lives."

"Most of the human race," I corrected.

"Yeah, some people didn't make it," Tayo said. "I was always fascinated by the event but the thought of even mentioning it has become taboo."

"Yes, I know," I said. "Well, that was a short but an important part of my teenage life. After Third Impact, I began to focus in school, came out of my senior high school class second only to a fellow former pilot and good friend, Asuka Langley Sohryu. After that, she returned to Germany for a few years while I went to Tokyo-2 University along with another pilot and someone who's like a brother to me, Shinji Ikari."

"You pilots must have been a very tight bunch," Tayo noted.

"Not even close. During our time as pilots, our relationships were all strained to put it lightly. I'd rather not talk about how they were strained," I said.

"That's fair enough," Tayo said. "The thing that gets me is how exactly did you get selected to pilot Eva?"

"The man who took me in and raised me, he was Commander of NERV, the organisation that possessed the Evas," I answered.

"But you were only 14 when you were fighting the angels and 4 when you were selected? Surely that wasn't a job for children?" Tayo continued.

"Evangelion isn't just a giant robot. It's is mostly biological and is almost alive in a sense. For some reason, they only responded to pilots born after Second Impact. When the angels attacked, I was only 14 so that was the age that I piloted," I further explained.

"You know, I wasn't quite expecting this to be your background," Tayo said. "Out of interest, which Eva was yours?"

"The white and blue one with one eye," I replied.

"Aw, damn it! I liked the purple one," Tayo said, with a laughed. I laughed as well, feeling that I managed to get the story across as best as I could have.

"I don't know how my father would take this story, but it is my duty to inform him, I guess," Tayo said. "Anyway, how about we forget about work and eat?"

I smiled and said, "That would be nice."

* * *

A few days past and I was in Yama-Gucci HQ, looking over some new proposed designs for the new range. I was interested to see what they looked like just to get an idea of what I might be wearing in the future. As I licked through the designs, Hikari walked into the office and said, "Rei, have you see this?" In her hand was a magazine opened up to a specific page. "No. What is it?" I asked.

"Take a look," Hikari said. "Somebody somewhere has found out that you used to be an Eva pilot. Now everybody wants interviews, public statements, everything. I can't hang up the phone without it ringing straight away again!"

"They found out I was an Eva pilot?" I asked. "How would they find that out?"

"I dunno. I was hoping that you were going to tell me because this piece of news has just quadrupled my workload in about in an hour!" Hikari said.

"The only person I told I was an Eva pilot was Tayo and that was for a background check," I pointed out as I skimmed through the article.

"Tayo's not going to be giving out news like that to some magazine," Hikari added. "Rei, were you in the Tokyo-2 Skyline restaurant at any point in the past week?"

"Yes, that's were Tayo and I went for lunch one day and he performed the background check there and then," I answered.

"Ah, that must be it. Some paparazzi weasel must have been listening in," Hikari said.

"Listening in?" I asked in shock. "They were eavesdropping on our conversation?"

"Listen Rei, sometimes these guys go lower than low for a story," Hikari pointed out. "You're currently the nation's biggest sensation so everybody wants stories about you and weasels like this guy who listened in on you are willing to go that extra step just to get that story. Rei, I can threaten legal action and file a lawsuit against this magazine for illicit use of private information. It would be for so much money that they couldn't survive as a business afterwards."

"It's okay," I said.

"Are you sure, Rei? This is normal procedure and I would recommend you take legal action," Hikari insisted.

"No, it's all right. If everybody knows that I was an Eva pilot, then so be it," I said.

Hikari frowned, possibly because I didn't allow for her to use her legal skills in a battle she would have most certainly won. However, I never liked the thought of having to sue. I knew there was a point that people might try to take advantage of that and that would be when I would have to allow action to be taken. "I understand it may make me seem like a pushover now but we will take action in the future if anything else happens. Could we leave this for now?" I asked.

"Fine Rei. This is probably the right choice, if I was contradicting the lawyer inside of me," Hikari said. "But if any other paparazzi sleazeball tries anything like this again, then we sue them into oblivion, agreed?"

"Agreed," I said with a smile.

After we made that little pact, a secretary entered and said, "Miss Ayanami, there is a Misato Katsuragi wanting to see you."

"Oh, thank you. Please let her up," I said.

"Very well, Miss," the secretary said amiably before heading off. It wasn't long before Misato came into sight. "Hey there Rei. Hello Hikari," she greeted.

"Hello Misato," Hikari greeted.

"Hi there. What's up?" I asked.

"Have you seen what's all over the news?" Misato inquired.

"The fact that everybody now knows that I used to be an Eva pilot?" I said.

"Bingo," Misato said. "Now, it isn't that knowledge that I'm worried about. People can know that you used to pilot Eva. However, you need to watch that you don't let some of the more sensitive details slip. As well as this, you are also now under the official protection of the UN."

"Official protection?" I asked.

"Yes, we're afraid that some people out there might not appreciate what Eva has done or even former members of SEELE. I don't know. It's just a precautionary measure but I'm sure nothing will happen," Misato explained.

"So, who from the UN will be protecting me?" I asked.

Misato smiled and said, "Yours truly! Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi, reporting for duty!"

"You are my protection?" I said.

"Well, I am to be your security advisor. Because nothing will actually happen to you, it means free money for me!" Misato said. "Plus, I get to travel anywhere you go! Anywhere special soon?"

"Actually," Hikari said, "Rei is going to Paris in a week."

"I'm going where?!" I exclaimed.

"Oooooooh! Paris! Sounds exciting!" Misato said.

"When did this happen?" I asked in shock.

"Twenty minutes ago," Hikari said. "You're going to the annual Paris Fashion Show, which is one of the three biggest fashion events on the planet, along with London and New York."

"I…I am?" I asked nervously.

"Yup, sure are. And I think you can scare out the opposition, with you being a former Eva pilot and all," Hikari added with a smile. However, it did not reassure me at all. This was huge and it was the last thing I expected. On the flip side, I guess the last thing the fashion world expected was a former Eva pilot as Yama-Gucci's main model.


	4. Paris and Fashion Shows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or any of its characters. All the fictional characters and brands used in the story are purely fictional and any resemblance to real people or brands is coincidental.

**Author's Note:** I have no clue as to how a real fashion show works, so I'm just really going to wing it in that respect.

* * *

I was on a plane for Paris, France. I had never been on a commercial jet before and I thought it would be a nice experience. However, I was proved very wrong indeed. "Rei, is that all?" Misato asked. I nodded weakly, handing over the sick bag to Misato who very reluctantly took it. "This is unpleasant," I muttered.

"It is ironic that you piloted Eva without a hitch, only to find out that you're violently travel sick," Misato chuckled, managing to give the sick bag to an air stewardess.

"Misato, leave her alone," Hikari said from her seat. We were all fairly far apart as we were in first class and I felt very isolated indeed with my motion sickness very much getting the better of me. If this was the experience of commercial flight I had been waiting for, then my sense of eagerness was misplaced.

Ever since Hikari had told me that I was going to Paris, I had been filled with excitement and anticipation for the event. My life had changed so quickly it had been difficult to keep up with all the changes. I had spoken to Tayo about the Paris fashion show and he had told me that it was an opportunity for me to shine and to win his father over so that I would get his support and hence the full support of the Yama-Gucci board of directors. He told me to think of it as an audition of sorts and not to worry about the pressure. I know I can cope with pressure with my former occupation and all but this seemed very different from piloting Eva.

As I lay back in my seat, feeling terribly ill, thinking of Tayo seemed to lift my mood ever so slightly. It was a good lift though, yet a part of me was wondering why it was that I felt better after thinking about Tayo. It something physical in my body that caused it, but in my mind. I struggled to comprehend what it was. Why did the thought of the man who brought me into this business make me happier? I enjoyed being in his company, but I do not know whether that had anything to do with it. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that it wasn't something concrete and fathomable. It was in fact something very abstract. Emotions are indeed abstract things, but I was unsure whether this was an emotion or not. I just, well, thinking about him made me want to be around him more so that I could be happy and enjoy myself in his company. I'm not too sure how to describe it.

"Hey! Air steward!" Misato cried out of the blue. It was the dead of night and I was sure most of the people on the aeroplane were asleep. Misato didn't seem to care however. "Yes ma'am?" an air steward responded.

"Get me a beer," Misato said, as if it were an order.

"Certainly ma'am," the steward said before disappearing. I smiled, knowing that Misato enjoyed drinking beer, often to the point of being intoxicated. Her loud voice had momentarily broken my chain of thought but I don't begrudge Misato at all. She has been really helpful in the lead up to today's flight to Paris. Her official job title was that of my 'Security Officer' but really she is much more like a friend.

Speaking of friends, I had recently spoken to Shinji and Asuka via internet phone and it was good to hear from them again. They were happy for me going to Paris and they even told me that they would be there at the show which made me excited. They were willing to put their plans on hold just to come and see me which was incredibly nice of the both of them. It made the trip all the more better and had me brimming with anticipation. That is, if I made it through the incredibly miserable experience of flying. Despite it being first class and the most luxurious in-flight experience one could ask for, my body had other things to say.

Landing at Charles De Gaulle International Airport was possibly the closest thing to a godsend to me. Being on solid ground made my head stop spinning and my stomach easy. "Ah, France!" Misato said with a beaming smile. "Home of the Eiffel Tower and Euro Disney!"

"Um, is that all you know about France?" Hikari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Pretty much," Misato said. "I know that they speak French and a lot of them wear berets."

"Don't you wear a beret, Misato?" I inquired.

"Only when I'm being super official at work," Misato said. "Now where's this guy we're meant to meet?"

"Tayo? He said he would be here at 2 o'clock," Hikari said.

"It's 3," I pointed out.

"Are you sure you have the right time? We have crossed a tonne of time zones!" Misato pointed out.

"Yes, I changed it when we landed," I replied.

It was then that Tayo appeared into sight and he immediately announced his presence, "Good afternoon ladies, good to see that you all made it!" He then turned towards me and said, "Good god, Rei, you look awful…awfully ill that is! Was the flight okay for you?" My hair was all ruffled and I was even paler than I usually was. "Motion sickness," I answered, more weakly than I would have hoped.

"That it explains it, I guess," Tayo said. "Well, Hikari, you have the day's schedule, don't you?"

"I do, yes," Hikari replied.

"Okay, good. They're not expecting us at the venue until about 6 o'clock so that we can have a 9 o'clock start tonight. Sorry that we couldn't get you in earlier. It will end up being just getting to the hotel, getting ready, maybe grabbing a bite to eat before heading to the venue. Sorry there was no time for you to look around the city," Tayo explained.

"It is all right," I said. "There's tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, there is. You'll have the whole day tomorrow to look around. I'll make sure of it. Anyway, we better move; we have to get you booked into the hotel and the traffic is hellish today!" Tayo said.

There was no understatement in Tayo's words. The city seemed stuffed to the brim with cars and there appeared to be no visible movement for almost an hour. I wondered how frustrating it must be to be the owner of a car in such deadlock. You purchase your vehicle to drive it or simply to take you from A to B. When that task becomes almost impossible, it almost makes you think what the point is of owning a car. I'm usually happy enough with the bus but ever since I became a model, it was apparently unsuitable for me to travel by bus and Hikari told me that I needed to get chauffeured around everywhere. It was a hindrance more than a help in my honest opinion but that was just the way things were.

It was another full half hour before we arrived at the hotel and even then, things were falling behind schedule, according to Hikari. It dawned on me that Hikari was much more than just an agent. She also seemed to keep everything organised and in check, much like a personal secretary. That intrigued me so I asked Hikari about it there and then. "Well, I think it's just my personality. I like to be on top of everything, even if that means going beyond what my job title says," she replied.

"Is that why you ended up as class representative for every year you were at school?" I further inquired.

"That's probably it…I'm a control freak!" Hikari laughed. I managed a smile as well. She was always very candid and that was one of the things that I liked about her.

Then there was Misato who kept wanting to window shop and insisted that we had to go wine tasting at some point. "Well, it's free drink, isn't it? Who turns down free drink?" she had said. Her logic was somewhat questionable but I do know that Misato, as with beer, enjoys drinking any drink to the point where she becomes drunk. I didn't see much enjoyment in that but I am led to believe that a good glass of wine is not only good for you, but a pleasurable experience. It is something I must try and what better place than France. I have seen photographs of the large vineyards in the south of France and I am also led to believe that France produces some of the best wines in the world.

I was led up to my hotel room and as soon as my bags were dropped off there, we had to leave to get a meal before heading off to the venue. I had never been in such a hectic rush to get from place to place and through it all, I still felt slightly unwell after that long flight. "Do I have to eat?" I asked.

"Rei, do you remember where most of your meal on that flight ended up?" Misato chuckled. "That's right; in a sick bag. So you really should eat."

"But it feels like this meal will end up in another sick bag as well," I muttered.

Suddenly, there was a man with a camera at our table who had appeared out of nowhere. "What's this?! The new Yama-Gucci model, Rei Ayanami, is bulimic?!" At that point, he attempted to run off had it not been for the intervention of Misato. "Oh, I don't think so Mr Paparazzi," Misato said, grabbing the tabloid journalist by the scruff of his neck.

"Agh! This is assault! I'll sue your ass!" he cried while flailing about.

"This is my summer job, jackass. For my day job, I work for some pretty powerful folks in the UN and I could have you 'disappear' if you want," Misato threatened in a low growl.

"Why should I believe you?! You're going on the front page instead of Rei!" the reporter yelled. "And you're getting sued!"

Misato scowled before saying, "Excuse me, Rei, Hikari. I'm off to re-educate this gentlemen here. I'll be back shortly."

I glanced toward Hikari who was taken aback by Misato's quick action. Or that a member of the paparazzi somehow snuck into our hotel dining room. "Is anything the matter?" I asked Hikari.

"You're not the least bit surprised?" Hikari asked back, looking in a state of astonishment.

"Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn't," I replied. "How did he…?"

"Get in here? Beats me," Hikari said. "Sometimes the tabloid press go that extra mile to make up a story. Anyway, it doesn't matter, Misato's dealing with him."

"Exactly what do you mean by 'dealing with him'?" I asked.

"I don't know. You would have to ask Misato that one!" Hikari chuckled.

At the point, the reporter appeared without saying a word and left immediately. He was empty handed as well, with his camera nowhere to be seen. "Well, what did you say to him?" Hikari asked.

"Oh, enough to make him never come within a ten mile radius of Rei ever again," Misato replied with a smug grin.

"Come on, you have to tell us!" Hikari urged.

"Later…after the fashion show. We'll take about it with a few drinks!" Misato said. "Anyway, eat! Don't we need to be at the venue soon?" Misato asked.

"We do, yes. We're behind schedule as it is," Hikari noted.

With that, I forced that meal down my throat before getting ready to go. Not that it was a bad meal; it's just that eating while nauseas is like throwing a bullet on a fire. There would be a good chance of explosive results either way.

I tried to keep such thoughts out of my mind as we were on the move once again, this time in an attempt to get to the fashion show on time. Thankfully, my food seemed to want to stay in my stomach for the time being so that was one worry off my back. However, as the venue came into sight, I became anxious. I had never been involved in a major fashion show before and suddenly seeing the size of the place, as well as the amount of people about was really beginning to make me nervous. "Well, here we are," Misato said.

"Okay Rei, here's the plan," Hikari said. "You're going to be involved in two different clothing categories. They're close together so you'll have to be ready for a quick change. Also, since you're the face of Yama-Gucci, you'll be going on last in each group. I can't think of anything else. That's about it actually. You probably won't be on that catwalk for more than a minute, given the amount of designers and models here."

"I won't be on the catwalk for more than the minute?" I asked in surprise. "It's not much at all."

"Yup. We're only one of about a dozen different designers who want to show off their stuff. It's your job to show it off well. The press here in Europe won't know too much about you but the Japanese press here are expecting a good show," Hikari explained.

"Okay, so all I have to do in now mess up for a minute," I said. It worked to reassure me and I managed to get my mind away from 'what if' and back to just getting it right.

However, what Hikari forgot to mention is the interest the world had taken in my past as an Eva pilot. As soon as I had left my vehicle, I was swamped by a hoard of reporters who were asking a plethora of questions in just about as many languages. "SORRY! REI DOES NOT HAVE ANY TIME TO SPEAK TO ANY OF YOU!" Misato roared as she pulled us away from the crowd and into the venue, presumably out of reach of the press. Misato shut the entrance and leaned back against it as she blew a sigh of relief. "I forgot that you had been an Eva pilot; apparently they didn't," she muttered.

"That's going to make things more complicated," Hikari added. "That scoop they made in Japan must have went global for all those reporters to know about it."

Misato then looked at me and said, "Well Rei, it's up to you to remind them of your new job and how good at that you are."

The next few hours were an absolute blur. While they made the final checks in the main area, I was getting my hair and my make up done. While I was there, several models had asked whether it was true that I had been an Eva pilot. They had to ask in English as that was the only other language I had a grasp of. When I game them their answer, they all became curious about what it was like. I gave them the best explanation that I could, omitting any details that were deemed top secret by the UN. During that time, I was sat down, getting my hair done. Talking about piloting Eva and getting your hair done sure seemed like an odd combination! Anyway, there was only about half an hour until the show started and some models were getting dressed in their given fashions, almost ready to start.

Next game an unbearable waiting game. My time on the catwalk was only later on in the show and I had to sit around, waiting for my time to go on. Time seemed to move so slowly. I heard the announcer call out things in French and watched the models go in and out. It seemed like an eternity before all the other models around me stood up. I jumped to my feet, anticipating something extraordinary. Then, I was on the catwalk, surrounded by bright lights, camera flashes and loud music. I was suddenly back inside the backstage area, that moment having flashed right before me so quickly. "Well done Rei!" Hikari said. "You just need to get ready for your next bit!"

Time then just flew by from that point on. I barely noticed going back on the catwalk again and everything seemed to move so fast. Then, I was back in the backstage area with Hikari and Misato. "That was great Rei. You did a fantastic job!" Hikari said.

"I…did?" I asked.

"You got quite an applause on your second time out as well," Misato added. "Anyway, I bumped into two people you might know."

"Two people I might know?" I asked.

"Follow me," Misato said.

As I followed her, I was slowly coming back down to earth. I was overcome by some sort of euphoric feeling while I was out there on the catwalk. I remember everything clearly, but it all appeared to go by incredibly quickly. I remember strutting down, looking straight ahead of me, having no time to take note of anything I saw. Hikari was right in that I wouldn't spend more than a minute out there but with how quickly it went by, each time I went out felt like a second. Now that my time at my first major fashion show was over, I didn't really know what to make of it all.

I followed Misato to the entrance and standing there were two faces I hadn't seen I quite a while. "Ah, hello," I said.

"Hey there. Good to see you," said Asuka, who was standing beside Shinji.

"You looked great in the show," Shinji added, with a smile.

"You two got in? That's good," I said.

"Well, we didn't have tickets or an invite but…" Asuka began.

"That's when I came in," Misato said with a smile. "Anyway, how about we all go out and catch up?"

"That's the best idea I've heard all day," I said.

We went back for Hikari and so I could change before we all went out the see what the nightlife in Paris was like. Misato picked out what looked like a good bar restaurant and we all went in to have a late meal and a few drinks. "I haven't seen you guys in god knows how long!" Misato laughed, getting right into her first drink of the night. "Where have you been?"

Shinji and Asuka looked at each other before Shinji said, "Well Asuka, will I give them the list of places we've been or will you?"

"I'll give you the honour, Shinji," Asuka said with a chuckle.

"Well, we went to China, Hong Kong, India, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia. We were about to head off to Australia when we heard that you were doing a fashion show in Paris so we just had to see!" Shinji explained.

"So how is the fashion business working out for you?" Asuka asked.

"It is a bit odd, seeing my photographs and hearing about me on the news or in magazines," I said. "Apart from that, it is good fun."

"Good to hear," Asuka said. "I say we give a toast to Rei, our new supermodel friend!" We all raised our glasses and each took a sip of our respective drinks. "Thank you everone," I said. "It's really good seeing you again."

"You should have came travelling with us!" Asuka cried. "Then again, if you did, then you wouldn't be here! That decision worked in your favour!"

"Yes, that's true!" I chuckled. "So, Shinji? Asuka tells me that you two are a couple. Is that true?"

"Well, uh...Asuka, is it all right to say?" Shinji asked.

"What are you, stupid?! She just said that I told her that!" Asuka snapped.

"Sorry," Shinji said feebly.

"They haven't changed at all!" Hikari laughed.

"This is going to be a grand old night, this is," Misato said. "And the drinks are on me!" As soon as Misato declared that, I knew that it would be a very, very long night...

* * *

I woke up with a sore head in my hotel room and I was lying on the floor. I sat up and rubbed my eyes before looking around. Asuka was lying next to me on the floor, which was odd since I don't remember her coming back with me. I stood up and found that Shinji was lying, dressed only in boxers, on the bed. It wasn't a pretty sight, I will admit but then again, what can we expect if we all drank that much? It was mostly Misato's doing, buying the lion's share of drinks for all of us. It would have been rude to refuse, although it quickly became a silly amount of alcohol. Then again, by that time, I no longer thought it was silly.

I went for a shower and by the time I was done, Shinji and Asuka were both still soundly asleep. I was considering waking them up when a phone call I got did the job for me. "Shinji…turn the alarm off," Asuka muttered.

"I…I can't reach," Shinji replied weakly. Their exchange was enough to bring a smile to my face before I answered the phone. On the other end was Tayo. "Good morning Rei," he said.

"Good morning," I said.

"Listen, I need to have a word with you. Can you meet me in the hotel lobby in five minutes?"

"Yes, that will be fine," I replied. And then the line went dead. I knew immediately that something was wrong because usually when I spoke over the phone with him, he would ask me how I was and we would normally have a short conversation. This time, there was nothing, just a request and that had never happened before.

I went down to the lobby and quickly saw Tayo waiting for me in the waiting lounge. I walked up to him and he smiled when he saw me, although he didn't look all that happy. "Sorry for the short notice, Rei," he said.

"It's all right," I said. "What is it you wanted to speak to me about?"

"Well, first off, I think you did a brilliant job last night," Tayo said. "However, there's something else."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Well…you've been getting a lot of press about your past, being a former Eva pilot and everything," Tayo began, "and although I don't make a lot of it, my father and the board of directors, are."

"So…what's going to happen to me?" I said.

"They want me to look for somebody else to be the face of Yama-Gucci," Tayo explained.

"I see. Then that's it?" I asked without really showing that much in the way of emotion.

"I thought you'd be a little more bothered about it," Tayo noted.

"Well, if it ends, then it ends. There's nothing I can do about it," I said.

Tayo smiled. "You really are something else, Rei. Anyway, that's what _would_ have happened, had I not bought a majority stake in the company under the noses of the board!"

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"That's right! I officially own it all! My father and his board have nothing on me now! And since it's my call, there's no way that I'm letting you go!" Tayo said, suddenly all animated.

"So you were just pulling my strings before?" I asked.

"Yup, nearly got you, didn't I?" he chuckled. "I finally became sick of their meddling. They weren't letting me run the company the way I wanted so I took control."

"That's great news Tayo," I said. "So I can continue being a model?"

"Definitely. And not just because you're a pretty face, but because you're such a interesting character, different from any I've dealt with in this business!"

"You…think I'm pretty?" I asked, suddenly becoming nervous.

"You're gorgeous Rei," Tayo replied with a smile.

His compliment made my face go the colour of my eyes, which was incredibly embarrassing in front of Tayo. "Anyway, didn't I promise that you could look around the city today?" he said.

"Yes, I believe you did."

"Well, I'm free all day. How about we call it a date?"

"I would love to."

And who would have thought that a day of unsuccessful job searching brought me this? I felt like the luckiest girl in the world and I suddenly realised why so many would kill to be in my shoes. It took a while, but I think I'm finally getting the grip of living, with a bit of luck on the way. I've gone a long way from being Rei Ayanami, the designated pilot of Unit 00 to Miss Rei Ayanami, my own person with my own life. I could think of nothing better.

**THE END**


End file.
